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Le Mans / ALMS
ALMS: Hand Looks Ahead To Z4 GTE Debut, DTM Return
American BMW factory driver excited for second season in DTM, new BMW Z4 GTE for ALMS...
Joey Hand will again be racking up the air miles in 2013 and he continues in DTM while also taking part in a partial season ALMS program with BMW Team RLL. (Photo: Chris Tedesco/BMW)
The 2013 season is shaping up to be another busy one for Joey Hand, as the 34 year-old BMW factory driver will again undertake a dual championship program in the American Le Mans Series and DTM.
Hand, who enjoyed a promising rookie season of DTM last year, will again fly the flag as the lone American in the highly competitive touring car championship, moving to the BMW Team RBM squad.
The 2011 ALMS GT champion will again compete in a limited-season program with BMW Team RLL, teaming with Dirk Mueller in one of two brand-new BMW Z4 GTE cars, which will debut in next month’s season-opening Twelve Hours of Sebring.
SPEED.com caught up with Hand to get his thoughts on the prospects of the new Z4 GTE, his rookie DTM season and his goals for his globe-trotting year ahead.
Q: What are your thoughts on this new chapter with the BMW Z4 GTE?
HAND: We came into this program in 2009 with brand new cars but we also came with a brand-new team in BMW Team RLL and a lot of drivers that hadn't raced together. Everything was new. This year is a lot different. We're coming in just with a new car. But the cool thing is that we've got the same guys, the same team, the same crew and engineers, so I think our learning curve will be much quicker.
I'm excited about it. The first thing you see with that car is that it just looks bad ass. It looks like a beast. I'd say that most cars that I've driven that looked fast, are fast. I'm excited about it as it involves two of my favorite things: racing and developing. I love being involved in development.
From a driving standpoint, I'm a kind of guy who is always thinking about suspension and dampers and tires and how it works. I love going out and doing tests and help move the car forward. That's one thing that RLL does very well and BMW does very well, is develop.
It's fun to start a new chapter in the history of BMW. To get to be involved with that personally... I was involved in the E92 program from the start and now to be involved in the Z4 program from the start is history.
Q: What do you think some of the biggest challenges will be with the new car?
HAND: A couple of things, starting with what touches the ground. We've never run a Michelin tire before on a BMW. At least the RLL guys have run Michelins before and Michelins were on the M3 GTR during the Schnitzer days. But I think that's going to be the first thing.
It's also got a different type of suspension on it and we have to see how it all plays out. For me, it will all be about the differences. I'm pretty comfortable and confident with the functionality. We're using the same control panel and buttons as the M3. So thats going to be solid.
But I think it's going to be about the rubber hitting the road and how we come to terms with that tire and suspension.
Q: How many races will you be doing with BMW Team RLL this year?
HAND: It's a plan of five for me. It's not for sure. My DTM commitments will take precedence. If there was anything to happen, the good thing is that John Edwards is on standby. The only conflict he has is Long Beach and I'll for sure do Sebring and Long Beach. After that, we're looking at Mosport, Baltimore and VIR. Then John will take up the other five.
Hand, who enjoyed a promising rookie season of DTM last year, will again fly the flag as the lone American in the highly competitive touring car championship, moving to the BMW Team RBM squad.
The 2011 ALMS GT champion will again compete in a limited-season program with BMW Team RLL, teaming with Dirk Mueller in one of two brand-new BMW Z4 GTE cars, which will debut in next month’s season-opening Twelve Hours of Sebring.
SPEED.com caught up with Hand to get his thoughts on the prospects of the new Z4 GTE, his rookie DTM season and his goals for his globe-trotting year ahead.
Q: What are your thoughts on this new chapter with the BMW Z4 GTE?
HAND: We came into this program in 2009 with brand new cars but we also came with a brand-new team in BMW Team RLL and a lot of drivers that hadn't raced together. Everything was new. This year is a lot different. We're coming in just with a new car. But the cool thing is that we've got the same guys, the same team, the same crew and engineers, so I think our learning curve will be much quicker.
I'm excited about it. The first thing you see with that car is that it just looks bad ass. It looks like a beast. I'd say that most cars that I've driven that looked fast, are fast. I'm excited about it as it involves two of my favorite things: racing and developing. I love being involved in development.
From a driving standpoint, I'm a kind of guy who is always thinking about suspension and dampers and tires and how it works. I love going out and doing tests and help move the car forward. That's one thing that RLL does very well and BMW does very well, is develop.
It's fun to start a new chapter in the history of BMW. To get to be involved with that personally... I was involved in the E92 program from the start and now to be involved in the Z4 program from the start is history.
Q: What do you think some of the biggest challenges will be with the new car?
HAND: A couple of things, starting with what touches the ground. We've never run a Michelin tire before on a BMW. At least the RLL guys have run Michelins before and Michelins were on the M3 GTR during the Schnitzer days. But I think that's going to be the first thing.
It's also got a different type of suspension on it and we have to see how it all plays out. For me, it will all be about the differences. I'm pretty comfortable and confident with the functionality. We're using the same control panel and buttons as the M3. So thats going to be solid.
But I think it's going to be about the rubber hitting the road and how we come to terms with that tire and suspension.
Q: How many races will you be doing with BMW Team RLL this year?
HAND: It's a plan of five for me. It's not for sure. My DTM commitments will take precedence. If there was anything to happen, the good thing is that John Edwards is on standby. The only conflict he has is Long Beach and I'll for sure do Sebring and Long Beach. After that, we're looking at Mosport, Baltimore and VIR. Then John will take up the other five.
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